


Swords and Smiles Can Make Great Gifts

by FrenchScribbler



Series: How the lettuce family got bigger [9]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Friendship, Gen, Interlude, Post-Time Skip, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Surprise Party, Tea Party, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:34:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24614593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrenchScribbler/pseuds/FrenchScribbler
Summary: Byleth spends time with her former students as they're preparing Felix's birthday that ends up being a surprise party for the unwilling birthday boy.
Relationships: Blue Lions Students & My Unit | Byleth, Blue Lions Students/My Unit | Byleth, My Unit | Byleth & Seteth, My Unit | Byleth/Seteth
Series: How the lettuce family got bigger [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1762282
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Swords and Smiles Can Make Great Gifts

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this story as an interlude with a focalization on Byleth instead of Seteth. I willingly made the focus external this time because I like keeping what's inside Byleth's mind a mystery to decipher through Seteth's point of view. I had planned writing about a thousand words but it got longer, as usual.
> 
> The examples of Felix's likes and dislikes are actually his in the game and you can see the part involving Annette in their support chain.
> 
> Byleth's likes are mentionned in the Cindered Shadows DLC.

A few weeks after Byleth had come back at Garreg Mach, a squadron of the Imperial army had tried to oust the resistance who was gradually reuniting in the monastery but she and her former students had successfully repelled them.

Rodrigue Fraldarius had pledged some of his troops to help them and Byleth and Gilbert were to go to Ailell, the Valley of Torment to receive them by the end of the month. His fight against the Faerghus Dukedom required his presence on his territory, he would be unable to leave for too long.

Garreg Mach had become the headquarters of the resistance against the Empire, essentially made of loyalist Faerghus soldiers, Knights of Seiros, church staff and civilians who were willing to help the way they could. As the heir of the Blaiddyd bloodline, Dimitri was supposed to lead the Faerghus army but his present state of mind currently made Gilbert take this responsibility instead. And as Rhea’s successor, Byleth was leading the Church army, a task she partially delegated to Seteth as he was already more or less in charge at the time Rhea was the archbishop.

Dimitri’s plan was to confront the Empire head on, though some of his former classmates would have preferred taking their homeland back first. Knowing he wouldn’t budge, Byleth chose to support his decision. Dimitri was obsessed with the idea of getting Edelgard’s head at any cost, even if it meant many people had to die for that. This Dimitri was different from the one who had been her student, but five years of anger, hatred and loneliness could change a man. Healing such wounds could take time. On some days, Byleth would try to talk to him at the cathedral, where he spent most of his days brooding, but he would ignore her or tell her to go away.

On the contrary, her other former students were happy to spend time with her as much as they used to. They had grown up and become adults. The last five years had been busy for them while she was sleeping but she could see in their eyes that the maturity and experience they had gained hadn’t really changed them. They were more or less the same deep down.

After a meal they all shared with her, Felix left them to go to the training grounds as he would always do, so the others took on the occasion to talk about his upcoming birthday. They were in the middle of a war but they still thought it was important to enjoy little things that helped them remember why they were fighting, like a celebration in friends’ company.

“I don’t know what kind of present I could get him,” Annette said with a worried face. “What does he like exactly?”

“Swords,” they all answered in unison.

“He also enjoys smoked meat,” Ingrid added, thinking it would be less expensive than a weapon for those who, like her, didn’t have much money.

“Of course, you would think about food, Ingrid,” Sylvain teased her.

It was usually Felix who was teasing her on that subject but this role had come to Sylvain in his absence. As her childhood friends, they knew very well about her love for delicious food.

“I was thinking about a good book about a knight he would approve of,” Ashe said while finishing his dessert. “But I know he’s not a big fan of chivalry…”

“As for me,” Mercedes joined the brainstorming, “I can only bake cakes and biscuits but Felix dislikes sweets.”

“I could help you bake a spicy cake,” Ashe suggested with enthusiasm. “With the right ingredients, you can make sweets that are delicious for someone who doesn’t usually like them.”

Byleth was watching their conversation while finishing her meal as she had come late for lunch. They all had nice ideas but the problem was that Felix would probably refuse to having a party. He wasn’t exactly a people person and the only things he enjoyed in life were training, maintaining weapons and fighting. Byleth remembered his father Rodrigue as being very different from his son.

“But I don’t know anything about swords,” Annette whimpered, disheartened. “What should I do, Professor?”

Even though they weren’t her students anymore, they continued to call her Professor, more as a sign of respect than out of habit. Everybody did actually. Byleth wasn’t bothered by it since she would always see them as her precious students, even when she would become their own children’s teacher.

“What about a song?” she suggested at everyone’s bewilderment. “I remember he enjoyed your songs.”

“Songs?” Sylvain wondered while directing an amused smile to Annette who instantly turned crimson red in embarrassment.

“Whaaaat?!” she loudly exclaimed. “Did he tell you about that?!”

“No, I heard you and saw him listening to your song with a smile on his face.”

Everyone was flabbergasted. They could hardly imagine Felix listening to a song. _And smiling?_ That was impossible. As they were all still in shock, Byleth began eating her fruit dessert as if she hadn’t said anything weird.

Sylvain was the first to finally react. By bursting into laughter. Annette was mortified and hid her red face behind her hands. Ingrid hit Sylvain in the ribs with her elbow to make him choke. Ashe tried to imagine what kind of song Annette was singing at that moment. Mercedes patted her friend on the back to comfort her.

“Don’t worry, Annie, your songs are very cute,” Mercedes assured her with her kind voice.

It didn’t help Annette at all though.

“Professor,” Ashe called. “You always find the right gifts for us on our birthdays or other occasions, so you do know our likes and dislikes. However, we don’t know yours. What do you like?”

“Swords,” the others answered in unison once again as Byleth nodded in agreement, busy eating her last piece.

“Eh? No wonder you get along so well with Felix,” he continued. “But what else do you like?”

“I like smiles,” she simply answered, watching them all. “I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m not very good at it myself. So, I enjoy seeing you smile and I consider it a gift every time you smile at me.”

All of them moved by her touching answer, they all showed their best smiles to their proud teacher and Annette and Ashe even cried. Those two were cinnamon rolls anyway.

“Not good at it? You’re smiling too, Professor,” Sylvain pointed her face out.

Indeed, her smile wasn’t as big as theirs but anyone could see she was happy. Obviously, Flayn couldn’t help meddling in their conversation after seeing her face as she was taking a shortcut to the lake through the dining room.

“Hello, everyone,” she sweetly greeted. “What are you talking about?”

“Felix’s birthday,” Byleth answered. “It’s the day after tomorrow.”

With sparkles in her eyes, Flayn joined her hands and her face lit up.

“Oh! We have to organize a party for I am sure he will be too shy to ask for one!”

“It’s not that he’s shy,” Ingrid hesitated, already imagining his reaction. “He might get angry though he seems to be a bit less abrasive now…”

“He’ll have to humor us,” Sylvain decided. “We’re the only friends he has in this world.”

“We could set a trap,” Byleth suggested as she stood up with her empty plates in hand.

“Do you think he’d fall for it?” Ashe wondered, knowing Felix’s temperament.

“It could be a good surprise,” Mercedes approved.

“It’s perfect!” Sylvain added to it with a flirty wink. “As usual, your ideas are as excellent as you are beautiful, Professor.”

In the afternoon, as she was just passing by, Byleth knocked at Seteth’s office open door while he was focused on his work. He raised his head from his desk and tried to retain a smile when he saw her. She walked into his office and stopped in front of his desk. With the door open, they had to maintain a professional behavior, so Byleth didn’t try to come closer than that.

“Professor, you have a good timing because I planned to see you,” he announced.

“I’m listening.”

“Earlier, Flayn came to my office and required funds to… throw a birthday party?”

“Felix’s birthday is the day after tomorrow,” she explained. “It’s supposed to be a surprise party though or he would never accept to get one.”

“Using war funds for such a thing looks questionable on paper, at best.”

“Don’t worry about that, I’ll pay for everything. I still have money I didn’t use five years ago.”

They gazed at each other for a while then Byleth decided it was better for her to go since Seteth was already very busy.

“I’ll try to talk Dimitri into it but I don’t have much hope about this. See you later, maybe.”

As she had imagined, Dimitri didn’t have any interest in being in anyone’s company at the moment. Anyone who was alive at least. He had no problem with the dead who were haunting him though.

She was admiring the statues of the Four Saints in a corner of the cathedral when she saw Seteth joining her. He had probably decided to take a break.

“I wonder if they celebrated birthdays in the middle of the war too,” she ventured. “Saint Cethleann was with her father so I suppose he at least wished to celebrate it.”

“There are no records of it but I guess they did,” Seteth answered, gently smiling upon the statue of Saint Cethleann. “Did your father celebrate it with you?”

“He offered me a present but we didn’t really celebrate. My mother died the same day, I imagine he had mixed feelings about it. We would have a drink together when I got old enough though. I don’t remember much of that time anyway.”

After checking no one could be watching, Seteth placed a sympathizing hand on her shoulder. She turned her head to look into his eyes. He was a kind man who always sought to support her whenever she needed it. Byleth still had a clear memory of how he had taken care of her when Jeralt died.

“When is your birthday?” she asked, realizing she didn’t know.

“On the 27th of the Ethereal Moon,” he answered after hesitating for a few seconds. “You could say I got a belated birthday present when I got to see you again.”

He was gazing at her with a warm smile but quickly went back to his serious expression and took his hand back off her shoulder when the sound of steps came closer. Byleth didn’t mind about getting seen in those moments but it seemed important for Seteth to keep it quiet even though he was usually the one initiating intimacy. The war was keeping them so busy they had little occasion to meet privately and whatever was happening between them progressed but at a slow pace.

The day after in the afternoon, Byleth was invited for tea in the garden. Mercedes, Ingrid and Annette were already there when she arrived after meeting with Alois about their impending travel to Ailell. Apparently, it was about spending some girl time and it was a tradition Mercedes and Annette had begun when they were attending the Royal School of Sorcery in Fhirdiad. Ingrid had been initiated to it by Mercedes five years earlier, when they were still studying at the Academy.

Annette talked about her time spent with her uncle during the last few years. At one point, he had to bend the knee to the Empire and she chose to join Mercedes who was working in trade in Fhirdiad under the tutorship of her adoptive father. Ingrid was helping her father with his affairs. Many refugees had come to Galatea territory but the land of this area of the kingdom wasn’t very fertile so Count Galatea had to ask for the help of Felix’s and Sylvain’s fathers who sent him all the provisions he needed so he could send them men to fight against the Dukedom. Everybody had thought Dimitri was dead because his execution had been officially announced in the capital so they had been very much surprised to find him in the middle of a fight against thieves with Byleth at his side when they arrived at the monastery.

“I suppose Felix and Sylvain fought among their fathers’ men,” Byleth guessed. “What about Ashe?”

“He told me he had become a knight of House Rowe,” Mercedes answered while pouring tea in her former teacher’s cup. “But he left when Count Rowe pledged loyalty to the Empire. Then, he continued taking care of his siblings and he tried to help people in the Gaspard region.”

“You did so many things while I was merely sleeping.”

“But you’re with us now, Professor,” Ingrid assured with her usual eagerness. “You’re doing important things for all of us. We would probably never have a chance in the war without you. You’re a skillful swordswoman like those lady knights in stories but you’re also a beacon for all of us.”

Annette and Mercedes nodded, they couldn’t remember how many times they had wondered where she was and if they would see her again.

On the 20th, they had all reunited at the Cardinal’s room that was used as a war council room though it was much more festive that evening. Byleth had convinced Felix to follow her by telling him Gilbert wanted to organize a last meeting to review details before leaving for Ailell two days later. When he opened the door, his friends all wished him a happy birthday and threw colored confetti. Felix froze in astonishment as he realized he had been tricked.

“I’m leaving,” he decided in frustration.

“You’re staying,” Byleth insisted as she stopped him by pressing his shoulder with her hand.

He begged her to reconsider through a mean look but she wouldn’t listen to his plea. She told him to be nice and that was the end of it. Resigned to it, he finally entered the room and let the others wish him a happy birthday again. Flayn was wholeheartedly impressed by her handling of the situation. However, she soon frowned when she saw Seteth coming into the room.

“Are you watching me again, Brother?” she asked with her angry little voice, her fists on her hips. “I want to be with my friends without your meddling.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not here for you,” he assured her. “I only came here because I have a letter for the birthday man.”

Felix turned when he heard he was talked about and walked to greet Seteth who gave him an envelope bearing the Fraldarius seal. It was a letter from his father. Felix clicked his tongue in annoyance and politely thanked Seteth before shoving the envelope in his pocket and going back to the others.

“He reacts like that but he will read it anyway,” Byleth predicted to Seteth who was watching him.

“Professor, would you like to taste this apple cider?” Mercedes invited, a few steps away. “It’s made from apples that grew in the monastery and it’s delicious.”

“I’m coming,” she answered before turning to Seteth. “Would you like a glass?”

“No, thank you. I still have work to do.”

Byleth walked to Mercedes who was pouring her a glass. Flayn followed her and asked for a glass of cider too. Though she hadn’t changed at all in five years and still looked like a teenager, she was probably old enough now to drink at least a bit of this mild alcohol.

When she turned to watch Felix trying a sword he had received as a present, Byleth saw Sylvain speaking to Seteth with his arm friendly put over his shoulder. She couldn’t hear what they were saying but she could see Seteth was a bit annoyed by Sylvain’s unwanted friendliness. When they saw she was observing them, Sylvain talked into his ear, to which Seteth responded by raising his eyebrows and continued to listen. Then, Sylvain let him go and winked at him before walking to Annette and claiming she was in great beauty that evening, to which she answered with superb indifference.

Byleth tilted her head as Seteth was looking at her from the other side of the room. Then, he addressed her the most candid and tender smile she had seen him. Utterly unsettled, she blinked and her cheeks turned into a lovely shade of pink he had never seen her.

“You’re all flushed, Professor,” Flayn noticed. “Are you alright?”

“I… I almost never drink so even a glass of cider makes me hot,” she lied straight to her face.

“Oh? But you’ve barely drunk from your glass…”

When Byleth turned her head again, Seteth was already gone. Nobody seemed to have witnessed his smile nor her sudden blushing.

Though he was an absolute flirt, Sylvain also seemed to be a good wingman as he had confided a little secret to Seteth concerning a recent discovery they had made and that came from their dearest teacher herself. If he was to show her his best smile, Sylvain guaranteed Seteth would behold a fascinating spectacle. His choice of words was certainly dramatic but a blushing Byleth was indeed a rare sight to see.

**Author's Note:**

> Back to Seteth's point of view on the next one, though I won't be writing it before the weekend because I've procrastinated too much and I have tons of stuff to do.


End file.
